Manifolding mechanism.



PATENTBD JUNE 11 H. D. BOLTON. MANIFOLDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10,1905.

. w 1 m M m E W a w No. 856,383. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

H. 1). BOLTON. MANIFOLDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APB..10,1905.

s Sunn s-SHEET 2.

No. 856,333 PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907 H. -D. BOLTON. MANIFOLDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10.1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3v PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

H. D. BOLTON. MANIPOLDING MECHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED APE-10,1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET HQ D. BOLTON MANIFOLDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 10 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

tot

GSHEETS-SHEET 6.

PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

, rti i? a l E 1 NHHH NRA platen,

HERBERT D. BOLTON OF NEW YORK N. Y.,

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,

Y ASSIGNOR TU ELLIOTT-i315? A CORPOQATION DELAWAELQ.

MANJFGL'DENG MECt-ZAMEWE typewriter.

The principal objects of the be stated as iollows:-1. To produce a menifold recordupon a plurality of Webs, sheets or strips led over or opposite a support or from a suitable source or suitable sources otsuppiy, another with interposed transfer means. 2. To provide eilicient means for the separate retention of the paper and the transfer means, in order that onemay be moved independently of other. 1 paper feeding mechanism b v means of which the Webs are advanced from time to time to replace the printed portion With it fresh or unused portion thereof. 4. To provide etii cient means for conveniently and unobtrusively supporting the spools upon Which the paper websare Wound and for guiding and guarding the Webs in their passage from the spools to the support or platen; 5'. To provide for severing the printed portions of thewebs. 6. To provide means for effecting the release of the webs from the feeding mechanism to permittheirmanualadvance. 7. provide transfer means in the form oi a typewriter rib- 'bon supplementing the ususi ribbon of the type-Writer and arranged to be by the rib-- hon motion of the machine to insure et ali times the location of an effective portion of the transfer ribbon between the paper webs, and 8. To provide the ribbons with supporting means which is movable longitudinallv oi' the paper Webs and independently thereof, in order that said ribbons maymaintain their proper relative positions with respect to each other, to the paper Webs, and to traveling recording mechanism which is advanced along the webs to record thereon at successive points.

Other objects, subordinate to those onumerated, will appear during the course of the succeeding description.

Specification of Letters Patent.

employed inronnec tion with recording means in the torn: or a invention may and disposed one above To provide Fatented June 13, ieQT.

Applicetion iiled i'ipril 10,1905. serial No. 264 32 7 I In the accompanying drawing" {is St perspective view of a deer with my n1anii lding mechanism. a verticai sectional on! of the same. i" a pie-n view with portions of broken away. Fig. 4 is a sec -'i-t of Fig. 23. i ig. is L de in pr view of the roll supporting frame and I guard, the rolls and. portions oi tin oeing ineiceted in dott d hnes. c

; .ransverse section on enn rgeo 1 designed particulariy to Show. res

l l i l i platen to the pelvriting much 1, relnt. -OSlZiUDS of the paper liz-ons. g. 7 a detail vies iiinstr the spool. sha tretaining devices. 8 is a detaii perspecti e view of the i f and associated parts, with portions hi i away. Fig. 9 is a detail sections 1 view of a. portion of the paper feeding meohanisr Fig. 10 is a detail perspective ViBW oi one of the spool shaft retainers, and .i ig. 11 is h simihi r vievv oi one of the feed shatt in "win Each part is indicated by its appro-"ihd reference character throughout the 1 indicates a desk upon the top oi will mounted a flat platen 2, which, in t tinted embodiment of the invention, is o form ordinarily employed .in connection with an Elliott-Fisher type Patent No. 573,868.

ed es oi the platen 2 guides upon which chine 4: is mounted will be 'riter, exemplified in Along the o 'iposite are disposed tracks or the typwrriting me;- to irav understooa construction n with special reference to t production of typewritten records, and for his reason, the

i Elliott-Fisher typewriter 4 is disclosed I form of recording meclninisni whic i utilized. It is thought to he unnec as one "in be arr to in detail, butit may that the machin ii'icludes 5 inoiudcil to tr: el l: ,:ioi the piston upon the tracks 3 and igo 6 movable transvors on the i he 5 and e describe the typowri be said in passing aniachine frame tudinall desk below the top thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. From these rolls 7 and 8 the paper Webs 10 and 11 are led forwardly and upwardly,

'around the front. edge of the desktop and over a roller .12 extending between the tracks or guides 3 in front of, but adjacent to th front end of the platen. The paper webs,

disposed in superposed relation, are led rearwardly over the platen from the roller 12and beyond the rear end of the platen are passed between a feed roll'13 and a pressure roll 4 same in their endwise movement, adjustable paper guiding ineansis preferably employed at or adjacent to the oppositeends .of the platen and in proximity to a pair of transverse scale bars'18 and 1.9 havingnorresponding graduations facilitating the accurate adjustment of the guiding means.

In tne present embodiment of the invention, the paper guiding means includes a pair of .collars 2O shiftably mounted on the roller 12 and'a pair of studs 21 adjustable along the slotted bar 22 extending between the tracks 3 at the rear edge of the platen, see Fig. 3. The collars 2O are'preferably of rubber or other material the resiliency of which will'retain them in their proper positions, and the studs 21 being provided with resilient retainers 23 such as are commonly employed upon gage-pins, which are common in this art. The collars 20 and'studs 21 constitute means for retaining the paper webs in their proper relative positions, well as means fdr retaining the webs at the proper point on the platen and for guiding said webs when the latter are fed longitudinally. To insure the retention of the webs flat against the platen, the tracks 3 are grooved for the reception of the opposite ends of a transverse work-holding or guarding member 24 in the form of a thinmetal plate imposed upon the Web and shiftable longitudinally ofv the platen to any de-' sired position;

Disposed transversely of the platen are two ink'r'ibbons or equivalent strips 25 and '26 disposed one above the other and having their opposite ends wound upon the ribbon spools 27 and 28, which constitute usual elements of the typewriter construction. These intermittently rotary ribbon spools constitute the primary elements of the ribbon support'- ing and feeding mechanism, it being deemed unnecessary to show. the ordinary mechanism by means of whichnioti'on is imparted to the spools. Associated with; each of the spools- 27 is a ribbon supporting and guiding frame 29. These frames depend toward the platen and their lowerends are disposed hcrizontally and'equipped with ribbon guiding bars 30 which serve to properly dispo'sethose portionls'jof the ribbon which lie adjacent to the platen and extend betweentheframes. The

ribbon 25 is disposed immediately overthe upper paper web 10, while the ribbon 26 is interposed between. the webs but directly under the ribbon 25, see Fig.6.

"By reason of this arrangement, the de- .pression of a typewriter key will cause one of the printing or recordingdevices to strike the ribbon 25., which transfers an ink. i'mpressionof the type to the upper sheet and causes the subjacent ribbon-26 to transfer a similar impression of the record to the under strip of paper. Thus, it will 'be's'een, that by interlacing the ribbons and paper sheets in themanner described, the record will be ducedupon the several strips, and t 1ese records will all he in effect original, by reason of the employment of a separate ribbon for each of them. J

Obviously, it is withinthe purview of the invention to increase the number of paper strips and ribbons if it is desired to obtain a greater number of copies of the record. Si'mi-. larly, the ribbons, instead of beingwound upon the same spools, may be provided withseparate spools.

It will now be noted that the transfer means and the paper are provided with separate independent retainingmeans, so that either the paper or the ribbons may be independently' fed. By this arrangement, the

paper is left undisturbed when the ribbon is fed from spool to spool or moved transversely of'the platen withthe-carriage of the typewri ting machine or moved longitudinally of the platen when the machine, as a Whole, is advanced for line spacing or'moved back to the rear end of the platen upon the completion of a record. Similarly, -the ribbons are not disturbed when the paper strips are ad vanced. for the purpose of displacing the printed portion thereof from the platen.

The paper feeding roll 13 is provided with a rubber or other frictional covering 31 and journaled in plates 33 its trunnions 32 are screwed to the inner aces-of the side members 34 of a frame structure/35 in which the platen is mounted. ,To the right hand trunnion'of the roll 13 is fixed a beveled pinion-36 meshing with a similar pinion 37 at the rear end of a feed shaft 38 journalod in suitable brackets'3 9 secured at the opposite ends of the'adjacent side of the platen. At its front end-the shaft 38 is'provided with an additional bearing in the cup turn'ed end 40 of'a- To the front face of this bracket is fixed a stop dial 42 provided with a series of openings bracket 41 secured to the desk top, see Fig.

- on the plunger.

' a spiral spring 47 43 in the dial, it will provided at its front end with a knob 46 by means of which the plunger may be with drawn from the dial against the resistance of located within a'recess 48 in the handle 45 and bearing at one end against the front end wall of the recess and at its Opposite end against an enlargement 49 Normally, the plunger engages the dial, as shown in Fig. 9, and locks the crank against movement, thus preventing accidental operation of'the paper feeding mechanism while the record i" bcin made. fWhen, however, it is desired to disp ace the printed portion of the paper strips from t" 1e platen,the plunger 44 .is drawn back and the crank is turned to rotate the feed shaft 38 and thus effect the rotation of the feed roller 13 and the rearward feed of the paper strips or webs which are drawn against the cutter 17 to sever their printed end portions. At this poin' attention maybe directed to the fact that "the paper is engaged at the rear end of the platen and drawn back while the mechanism for operating the engaging devices is located at the front end of the platen and in convenient reach of the operator. It will he 'noted, furthermore, that while it is possible to secure a feed of any desired extent, by holding back the plunger 44 during the rotation of the crank 45, it is, nevertheless, possible to secure a predetermined feed of the paper by releasing the plunger immediately after the crank is started, so. that, as's'oon as the plunger arrives opposite the next opening spring into the same and arrest the movement of the rank. In a similar manner any multiple of this predeter-V mined feed may be obtained. v

The pressure roll .14 is mounted in what may be termed a pressure frame 50, mounted to swing from the bar 16 and urged toward the feed roll by springs 51 encircling the bar. ()ne end of each spring bears against the frame and the other end is secured to a collar 52 fixed to the shaft 16, as shown in Fig. 3. As it is sometimes desirable to rapidly withdraw considerable portions of the paper strips by hand, the pressure frame 50 is provided with a rearwardly extended thumb piece or handle 53 by means of which the frame may be rocked against the resistance of the springs 51 to withdrawthe pressure roll 14 from the feed roll 13, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The pressure roll 14, like the feed roll 13, is preferably provided with a frictional sleeve or covering 54.

lVhile the paper rolls may be supported in a variety of ways, I have shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, a very simple, inexpens1ve and efficient arrangement by means of which an ordinary desk may be quickly equipped in accordance witlrthe invention. The roll supporting frame 9 is of rectangular form and is preferably made by suitably bending a single metal strip, as shown 'in' constitute, in effect, a spool. It should also l ['Fig. 5. The top bar 55 of this frame is screwed or otherwise secured to the under side of the desk top and the bottom bar 56 is fastened to a metal supporting strip 57 projecting beyond opposite sides of the frame and terminally secured to the desk i to the bottom thereof. One of the side bars 58 of the frame 9 is provided with a series of openings 59 for spool shafts 60, the opposite-ends of said shafts being received. within notches 61 eX+ tending back from the front edge ofthe other side bar 62. To prevent the displacement of the shafts 60, 1 provide each with a retainer 63 in the form of a metal slide mounted .on'the bar 62 and net slot 64, the horizontal portion of which the accomn'ioclation of theadjacent 80 provided with a'bayocoincides with one of. the notches 61 when f the shaft is the shaft is in position, the slider 63 is demove the horizontal portion press (1 so as to of the l-slot out of coincidence withthe notch, this movement of theslid'e being accommodatedby the vertical branch of the slot 64. To retain the shafts60 against longitudinal,

as well as lateral displacement, eachis provided with an annular groove. 65 which is engaged by the retainer'63 when the latter is moved down in the manner described, see Fig. 7.

By providing the side bars of theroll su porting frame 9 with series of openings and notches, as described, I am enabled tomount within the frame any I per rolls and to accommodate-rolls of different sizes. Each shaft or spindle 60 is etween which a roll may be mounted and retained,- see Fig. 5. Each pair of collars and that portion 'of the spindle or shaft extending between the same be noted in this connection, that the adjustability of the collars 6,6 of the rolls at the center of the frame ,9, or

equipped with a pair of adjustable collars 66 of any desired width.

permits the mounting slipped to its place. When desired number of pallO' nearer one side or the other thereof, according to the desired position of the paper strips upon the writing surface of the platen.

Inasmuch as the knees of the operator extend into the open portion of'the desk, I provide a sheet metal guard 67, see. Figs. 1, 2 and 5, having its lower end 68 bent around a bar 69 extending between a pair of brackets 70 secured to the lower'ends of the bars 58 and 62 of theroll supporting fran'le. The guard is bent into appropriate form to properly pro tect the paper websandadjacent toits upper end is. provided l upon abar 72 carried by a brackets '73,'secured to the desk top',.see Figs. 2 and 6. The upper extremity of the guard 67 -is' received within a longitudinal slot 74 in the under side of the l scale bar 18.

wider than the paper strips, is narrower than pair of supporting with a pair of ears 71 slidablc I under side of the platens of various forms, whet the open ortion of the desk and may there fore be shifted laterally in order to insure its location directly opposite the webs.

Before concluding, attention may be directed to the fact that the invention in its broader aspects is capable of a )plication to lier movable or stationary, and whether disposed horizontally or vertically. In all cases, however, the paper web would be led opposite or over (these terms being used synonymously herein) that portion of the platen opposite which the. printing or Writing is doneand the terminology: employed in the cfgims is to be construed in accordance with this definition.

It is thought that from the foregoing, the construction, operation and advantages of my manifolding mechanism will be fully comprehended. It should be understood, however, that while the illustrated construc-. tion is thought at this time to be preferable, I reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications and variations thereof, as may come fairly within the scope of the protec tion prayed.

What I'claim is:-

1.. In a manifolding means, a sup ort or platen for a plurality of-superpose paper webs, a typewriter mounted to travel over the platen longitudinally of the paper webs and including printing devices and inking means, and a transfer web inter osed between the pa er Webs and movab e longitudinally of sai Webs with the typewriter.

2. In a manifolding means, a support, or platen for a plurality of paper webs, a plurality of transfer webs, the paper and transfer webs being interwoven, and means supportingthe transfer webs and movable longitudinally of the pa er webs;

3. In a mani olding means, a sup ort or platen for a plurality of superposer paper webs, a plurality of transfer webs disposer at right angles to the paper web's, the paper and transfer webs being interwoven, ant spools rotatable to feed the transfer webs longitudinally and movable to shift the transfer I webs longitudinally of the paper webs.

4. Ina manifolr ing means, a platen and a typewriting machine, relatively movable, and a pluralityof'nk ribbons carried by the machine, and interwoven with a plurality o paper webs led over the platen. 1

5. In a manifolding means, a 1platen and a typewriting machine, relative y movable, and a plu-ralit'yof ink ribbons mounted on the typewriting machine and disposed at right angles to'and in alternatlng arrange ment with a plurality of paper webs led over the platen. v

6. In a manifolding means, a platen supporting a plurality of superposed paper webs, a typewriting machine, a plurality of inking ribbons disposed transverse to thepaper Webs and alternating therewith, and ribbon spools platen, a paper roll located below the plane carried by-the typewriting machine to retain the ribbons and shiftable longitudinaliy of the paper webs.

7. In a manifolding means, a flat platen for a plnralit of paper webs led over the platen, recor ing mechanism movable over,

the platen, and a plurality of inking ribbons movable with the recording mechanism and alternating with the paper webs.

8. In a manifolding means, a flat platen supporting a plurality of paper webs, a typewriting machine mounted to travel there over, ribbon spools mounted on and movable with the typewriting machine, and a plurality of inking ribbons extending between the spools and arranged one above another at right angles to the pa er webs and in elternating arrangement t herewith, said ribbon spools being rotatable to feed the ribbons endwise and also having movement relative to the typewriting machine as wellas with the latter to shift the ribbons longitudinally of the paper webs.

9. In amanifolding means, a flat laten, printing mechanism mounted to trave thereover, means for retaining a plurality of superposed pape'r webs on the platen,.and a pin rality of inking ribbons supported by and movable with the traveling printing mechanism and disposed at right angles to and in alternatingarrangement with the paper webs, whereby the ribbons will be shifted longitudinally of the paper webs as the printing mechanism advances for line spacing.

10. In a manifolding means, a typewriting machine including a laten serving as a backing for 'aplurality of paper webs, a movable carriage and a machine frame, said machine being equipped with an inking ribbon, and a transfer element interposed between the paer webs and movablelongitudinally therea of with the carriage.

11. In a manifolding means, a flat platen, tracks or guides, a typewriting machine mounted to travel thereon. andincluding a transversely movable carriage, means for retaining a plurality of paper webs ledover the platen, ribbon spools mounted on the carriage and capable of both endwise and rotary movement, and a plurality of inking ribbons extending between the spools and having alternating arrangement with the paperwebs.

12. In combination, a stationary flat platen, a feed device located at the rear end thereof to engage a paper web and drawthe same rearwardly. over the platen, and operating means located at the front end of the platen within convenient reach of the opera-' tor and having operative connection with the feed device.

13. In combination, a stationary flat of the platen and having a paper we led arigiund the front end of the platen and thence ceases rearwardly over said plat-en, paper feeding means located at the rear end of the platen to engage the web and draw the same rearwardly over the platen from the paper roll, typewriting mechanism dis osed above the platen to print on the we and operating 'means located at the front end of the platen and having connection with the paper feedmg means located at the rear end thereof.

14. In combination, a stationary flat platen serving as a backing for a plurality of paper webs, typewriting mechanism mounted to travel over the platen, a transfer element interposed between the paper webs and movable longitudinally thereof With the typewriting machine to transfer the type impression to an underlying web as the upper or outer web is printed upon, paper feeding means located at the rear end of the platen to draw the paper webs rearwardly thereo vcr an operating crank located at the front end of the platen within convenient reach of the operator, a feed shaft extending along one side edge of the platen from the crank and geared to the feed roll, and stop mechanism tor-arresting the crank after predetermined movement thereof, said stop mechanism including cooperating members one of which is movable out of interfering relation with the other to permit continued movement of 4+ at the proper point by the stop mechanism. 16. in combination, a platen, a feed roll disposed at one end thereof, a feed shaftgeared to the roll and extended to the other end of the platen, a crank carried by the shaft, a spring-urged stop plunger mounted in the crank, and a stationary plate provided with a series of openings disposed to be ened by the stop plunger to lock the crank 5 either of several positions.

17. In combination, a platen, a paper feed ing roll at one end thereof, operating means for said roll at the other end of the platen, a bodily movable pressure roll disposed to clamp the paper against the paper feeding roll, and means for moving the pressure roll to release the paper.

18. In combination, a platen, a pair of paper guiding devices located at each end of the platen and adjustable transversely thereof, and scale bars disposed transversely of the platen adjacent to said devices to facilitate the adjustment thereof.

19. In combination, a stationary Fiat platen, a paper roll disposed below the rear l r6 crank after the same has been arrested end thereof, a paper web extended from the roll to the front end of the platen and thence rearwardly over the latter, and paper feeding means disposed to engage, the web beyond the rear end of the platen and an operating device located at the front end of the platen and operatively connected to the paper feedingmeans.

20. In combination, a horizontal flat platen, a vertically disposed roll supporting frame below the rear end of the platen, paper rolls carried by the frame, paper Webs extended to the front end of the platen and thence rear wardl y over the platen from said rolls, paper guiding means disposed to maintain the paper webs in superposed relation, means lorated at the rear end of the platen for engaging and feeding the web and an operating device located'at the front end of the platen and operatively connected to the paper feeding means.

1. l n combination, a stationary llat platen,

a plurality of paper rolls disposed one above another below the rear end of the platen, paper webs extended to the'i'ront end of the platen and thence rcarwardly over the platen from said rolls, a guard. located in advance of the rolls and webs, and a pair of transverse bars along which the guard is adjustable.

22. In combination, a desk having an open portion, a platen on top of the desk, a plurah ity of paper rolls mounted in the open portion of the desk below the end of the platen, paper webs led rearwardly over the platen from the rolls, and paper feeding mechanism arranged to engage the webs at the rear end of the platen.

23. in combination, a desk having an open portion, a paper roll supporting frame secured to the ,desk and mounted at the rear side of the open portion thereof, a platen supported upon the top of the desk, paper rolls mounted in the frame, and having paper webs led rearwardly over the platen from said rolls paper feeding means located at the rear end of the platen, and an operating device therefor located at the front end of the platen.

24.. in combination, a desk having an open portion, a platen mounted on the'desk, a paper roll supporting frame mounted in the open portion of the desk adjacent to the rear side of the latter, paper rolls mounted in the frame, paper webs led rearwardly over the platen from said. rolls, and a guard disposed to prevent the knees of the operator from contacting with the rolls or webs and movable to different positions transversely of the desk. i

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing my can, I have hereto allixcd my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

llERBllitl i). BOLTON. Nitnessesz Anoirinc (l UiaonnM AXE, fincnrn ll. Annn. 

